Menu

To honor and encourage

Category Archives: Heritage

In January of 1958 our little brother Tim was born. I was so excited to have a baby brother. I’m seven in this photo. I was the baby of our family for seven years until Tim was born. We had to put the tree on a table to keep it out of Tim’s reach. That tinsel is so inviting to those little fingers along with everything else that sparkles. It was fun to enjoy Christmas with an 11 month old. I was a sick little girl during this time. The best information I have is that I had some kind of kidney infection that required a hospital stay and then a few months of recovery. I remember having a home teacher and missing Valentine’s Day at school. My home teacher brought me a bag full of Valentines from my classmates. I also remember not being able to have any salt and having to drink a lot of water. After a while a glass of water looked like medicine to me. Hmmm, maybe that’s why I don’t like to be told to drink water to this day. I enjoy it in moderation. 🙂

Bloggers are very busy this week and have little time for visiting so I’m taking the opportunity to put a little Christmas history on my blog that will help my memory now and later.

We’re having a little Christmas Open House on Sunday and I need to come up with a few appetizers and some sweets and we need to decide on some festive drinks. There are so many great choices out there, I just need to choose from among them! Glad our first beyond the family event at our Country Bungalow will be small.

This is our Pop’s story dictated verbally by him a few years ago. I’ll be sharing excerpts every Tuesday. When I add to his story or explain a photo I will Italicize my words. Our Pop’s words will not be italicized. Our mom does not come into Pop’s story until “Tuesdays With Moisi ~ 9” even though I’ve posted photos of her before #9. I have very few photos from our parents’ life in Russia and Persia. At the end of my Tuesday posts I’ll add links to all the other posts.

Photos are not mine.

My mother had been in the habit of attending a Molokan church service in a neighboring village every Sunday. She had done this quite a few times and because she always returned, she was able to gain the trust of the Uzbek guard. The Old Testament Feast of Tabernacles, which Molokans celebrated, was approaching. My mother asked permission of the guard for our whole family to attend this feast at that church in the aforementioned village. Permission was granted. We started off for the village that Sunday morning, but as the camp receded from view, we totally changed direction. I asked why but was told to keep quiet and keep walking. Our destination was the city of Samarkand, because we had distant relatives there. We arrived there around midnight. The next day we had one of the relatives buy us train tickets back to Ashkhabad. Before we departed for the station, my brother John surreptitiously scouted it in advance and saw the camp officials there, evidently looking for us. We had to postpone the trip until the following day. The coast was clear that day and so we left. Our family was scattered throughout the train in various cars. One of the stops the train made was where the camp was. Trains were routinely searched there for escapees from the camp. As we approached that stop, my mother emphatically told us to face away from the aisle and under no circumstances were we to turn toward it. As the guards came onto the train, my mother fell to her knees in prayer. The guards roamed through the cars more than once but, praise God, none of us were recognized. As the train left the station we all heaved a sigh of relief.

Our troubles, though, were not over. That evening, the lights in the train suddenly went out. All hell broke loose in the train as those who were stronger began to forcefully plunder the weaker. I’ll never forget those moments. Nobody came to anybody’s aid. It was every man for himself. I specifically remember how one man was screaming for help as two others were trying to take his possessions. He would not let go. They finally dragged him and his possessions into another car. I don’t know what happened to him.

It was terrifying. All authorities were absent. No conductors, no militia. Yet, by God’s grace, none of our family was plundered. Finally, conductors appeared at the next stop.

And so we returned to Ashkhabad. It was September of 1933. We had nothing-absolutely nothing. We begged a widow to take us in. She acquiesced. She only had one room for us and so we had to make do. I remember she was growing onions on the roof so that was all we had to eat for a while. One day a knock was heard at the door. The widow answered. Some men were at the door requesting able-bodied workers for a roofing job. The widow relayed their request. We replied that we lacked the necessary ID papers to be able to work. The men at the door replied that papers weren’t necessary. So my two brothers and mother went to work. This happened more than once and this is how God took care of us.

This is our Pop’s story dictated verbally by him a few years ago. I’ll be sharing excerpts every Tuesday. When I add to his story or explain a photo I will Italicize my words. Our Pop’s words will not be italicized. Our mom does not come into Pop’s story until “Tuesdays With Moisi ~ 9” even though I’ve posted photos of her before #9. I have very few photos from our parents’ life in Russia and Persia. At the end of my Tuesday posts I’ll add links to all the other posts.

Our Pop is the boy on the right standing next to our paternal grandmother babushka Martha. Our Aunt Anna who is the one remaining family member alive is on the left side next to our paternal grandfather Timofey.

In his own words as translated into English from Russian:

My name is Moisi Timofeyavich Bagdanov. The name Moisi is the anglicized version of Moses. In the Russian language it is pronounced as Moses. I list my birth date as May 25th, 1923. I’m sure of the year but I’m not sure of the actual day of my birth because I was born at home and no records were kept in those days. All that I know was that I was born sometime in May, according to my mother. We lived in a village called Saleem in southern Russia about 200 miles south of present day Rostov. Our village was in a network of about 30 other villages mainly inhabited by Russian Molokans. And that is who we were.

I was born into a large family – twelve children altogether – and we never seemed to have enough of life’s necessities. My earliest memories involve my cousin Michael and me. We were inseparable playmates. One day we went into the fields where watermelons and cantaloupes were growing. We had a knife between us and so decided to check out how the fruit was ripening. I very much remember the verbal tongue lashing I received as a result of our informal field testing! Another time I remember being chased from my grandfather’s bee hives because of the mischief we were causing there. In the spring of 1928, at the ripe old age of four, I was placed on my first plow horse and thus began my career in farming.

In the spring of 1929 I remember the agricultural advances that were made when our village and two others invested in a tractor, threshing machine, and a combine for the wheat harvest. By today’s standards they would be very primitive, but at that time they were a godsend. The whole village participated in the harvest with singing and gratitude because of these labor saving devices. I also remember a very small dairy near our village which produced cheese, cottage cheese, and butter. We kept these products from spoiling by packing our underground cellars with snow in the winter. We poured water over the snow turning it to ice. That small cellar served as our refrigerator for the entire year.

(Seven of the 12 siblings remaining together in the USA in 1982. Jim, Vasilli, Pop Moisi, Anna, Mikhael (Mike) who was visiting the U.S.A. for the first time, Alex, and John.) The next photo has the spouses added. Aunt Anna’s husband was deceased already. Uncle Jim was divorced.

Mikhael did not imigrate to the USA like the rest of these siblings in the photo. After escaping to Persia with the family and living there for several years he heard things were better in Russia so he returned. He was immediately arrested and sent to Siberia. Miraculously he survived his time there. He applied to visit the U.S.A. many times and was finally granted permission in the early 80’s when these photos were taken. The U.S. family had not seen Mikhael for 40 years and this visit was such a happy reunion for everyone. When my parents took their trips to Russia and then returned as missionaries to Russia in the 90’s they were able to have many good visits with Mikhael and his family.

Uncle Mike center top row next to Pop(Moisi) and sister Anna with babushka Martha (Moisi’s mother) sitting in front of them. All my brothers and sisters. Six of us were already married in 1982. Leonard and Lana, the twins were not married yet. Several grandchildren and great grandchildren not born yet.

Our dear old Pop was ushered into heaven on June 24, 2018 in the late afternoon. He was 95 at the time of his death.

This is a post I wrote about Pop in 2016.

These two…always the best when they were together. Together for 70 years before our mom died. My Pop has been fragmented ever since our mom died on their 70th wedding anniversary, September 13, 2013. They could communicate well in Russian with each other. None of us kids are fluent so he’s lost that aspect of his daily life. We’ve all tried to support him in his sorrow. He would love to be reunited with mom and His Savior. But…until then we try to keep him looking up and staying in the light. Can you imagine sharing life together with someone for 70 years and then trying to live on your own?

Pop lives with our oldest sister’s family now. God bless her and her family for being there daily for our Pop. He has a special buddy in our dear niece Miss on the right in the photo above. Our sister Lana tries to visit regularly while she is in Southern California. I love the photo above of the 3 musketeers.

My Pop loves eating breakfast out but nowhere fancy please! He likes Denny’s or a similar spot where he can get his 2 eggs sunnyside up, with hashbrowns, sausage links and a cup of coffee. Oh yes…white toast only!

For lunch if you are going to take him out he enjoys a hamburger at the Habit. If you order or bring in a pizza he does not want thin crust healthy nonsense. Bring on the dough and all the good toppings, please.

Our best purchase ever was this recliner that he tells me every time he sees me in person that he loves. Thank you Lyena for my chair.

His sweet great granddaughter Eleanor. He thinks she’s the best.

No birthday cake just bring him a cherry pie!

His last sibling that is alive today. Aunt Anna and Pop live a few miles from each other. She lives in a senior care home. (She now lives with her granddaughter) They talk most every day for about 30 seconds tops. That’s another thing about Pop all you need is about 30 seconds a week to stay connected. He does not talk long on the phone!

These are some of Pop’s grandchildren with some of their spouses. He has many others and a very cool thing I’ll share about my Pop is that up until a few months ago he would get down on his knees every night and pray out loud for each of his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

My niece captured this image of our Pop on his knees praying. Although my Pop and Mom had a language challenge in communicating with us children and grandchildren they showed us all love in different ways. My mother expressed her love through her cooking and preparing meals for us. Our Pop expressed his love in working hard all his life to provide our basic needs. Both my Mom and Pop prayed for each of us every day. These days if our Pop feels his bank account has more money than he needs he gives us some extra cash. My parents always lived with the bare necessities. Another thing my Pop would want you to know is that he was a sinner like the rest of us and that he has been saved by grace. He’s wasn’t perfect but he loves God and is grateful for all that God has done for him.

I wrote this post when my Pop was 93 in 2016. We thank God for Him and how God has blessed him and kept him all these years.

In 2010 my Pop said this to me on the phone after he was released from the hospital for a heart incident. “You know Lyenah last night when I was awake I was thinking, I’m so thankful, so thankful for all these years and God never let us down. For whatever God did…all His blessings and guiding, for all my children, I’m so thankful. I cannot complain. I love you Lyenah. I love all of you. When God calls me home I’ll say Ok…”

Pop meeting his great granddaughter, our first granddaughter, Addy. This was in February of 2018.

Our Pop has been in hospice care for several months at my sister’s home and was ready to leave this earth. We are thanking God that Pop was ushered into his Savior’s presence peacefully as he slept. We are so thankful to my sister Kathy and her husband and dear niece for the day to day care they blessed our dear pop with these last several years.

Josh’s Grandpa was ushered into heaven tonight. Our hearts are heavy at the loss of such an important part of our lives, but we rejoice too. He is fully restored, and is with his Savior and beloved wife. What an honor it was to know, love and be loved by him. Love you always, Deda

So very thankful for the legacy of faith this man left behind, and am privileged to call him family. We didn’t get a chance to introduce Ruthie to her Great Dzeda, but he loved her and Ellie so much. We love you and will miss you, Dzeda!

You should have heard the thunder and lightning last night!! Felt like the Lord was saying “HE HAS ARRIVED!” He is with the Lord & the Lord was exclaiming it last night ! What a amazing thought.. he is with our Creator!

Your dad was such a wonderful and strong man of God. So sorry to hear of Dadya Moisei. Please accept our condolences and apologies in not being able to be there with you during this time as Mike and I are in Australia.

While we grieve I know Pop (Steve’s dad) celebrates and is at peace. At every gathering he stood and told us “I love you. I love you. I love you.” May we all carry forward that practice.

I miss you already, Deda…I love you forever

So sorry for your families loss.
He left an incredible heritage that is rich in love. So beautiful!
May our Heavenly Father comfort you all and bring you His peace during this time.

My sweet Deda, Moisi Bagdanov, is Home with his Savior. He has fought the good fight, finished his race, and kept the faith…and now that faith is sight! The same God who answered my Baba’s prayer of 20 years and used him to bless many has ushered him into Glory. Thank you to those of you who have faithfully prayed for and loved my family during this time…we love you all!

This is my story, this is my song,Praising my Savior all the day long;This is my story, this is my song,Praising my Savior all the day long!”

Our dear old Pop is with his savior. He just wasn’t happy on this earth without his dear Nadz. Peace at last…

As Deda is now with Jesus and Baba in heaven three things keep rolling over and over in my head. 1.) His inherent work ethic passed on to his children and grandchildren and I am sure greatgrands as well. 2.) His passionate prayers mostly in Russian and partly in English. 3.) His “I love you, I love you, I love you”’s always in 3’s. It is an honor to be your grandchild, I will love you forever.

Home to eternal glory! Your dad’s godly legacy lives on in his dear children and grandchildren! Oh to be present with the Lord! Love you all and share your sadness and joy!

So sorry to hear. What a blessed life. A man of God and a man of integrity. Our love to you and all the family.

Absent from the body, present with the Lord. But also absent from those who loved him and cherished his love for them. Joy, washed with tears. God be with you and your loved ones, Ellen (and Greg and family)

So happy that your dad is where he has wanted to be for a long time! He leaves behind an amazing legacy and will be missed by so many whose lives were touched by his love!

Much love to all the Bagdanovs! Heaven looks sweeter all the time especially now that sweet Moisi is there. Blessings. 💜✝😢

Always such a sweet, kind couple. They’re together again.

Your parents were so dear and such a blessing. They made a mark on my life. Always giving of their time to care for their family and still others. Full of hospitality and warming others in. So thankful for our good Lord who brings us to our new home. Praying for all of you Ellen Bagdanov Bayles, your family is a great reflection of the God your parents trusted. big hugs

Psalm 115:16. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. I am happy for your dad, but I am sad for you. Love, Hugs and Prayers.

Praising God He is at Peace with Him & His Nadz, Praying for you and the whole family!,
Please let us know how we can help & support you! xoxo

Ellen…to you and all your family our thoughts are with you…..We know death is coming, but is still hard.

I’m so glad I got to meet them , such a sweet endearing couple, & all why I feel your loss, a tiny fraction of yours. Sweet Peace & Comfort to you & your family. Xoxo

Oh Ellen- I am so sorry. I know how he loved you and your family. And, how you loved him. My prayers are with all of you.

Love and condolences from Steve and I , to all your family.
Gone physically from this earth but now joyfully with his beloved. In that Heavenly Kingdom. What joy that brings to hearts, knowing the peace he now knows. Love

Praying for you and your family during this time, but knowing that your Pop is with his savior and rejoicing, is so awesome. May the Lord continue to comfort you and give you peace.

Promoted to glory!!

So many Saints have been swept up by Jesus Angel’s recently. And now your father and what an amazing reunion they are having. I’m sorry Ellen. You had great parents. **

Praying for you, Lana, and the whole family with love at this time of loss. And thankful with you for the rich legacy your dear parents left. How happy your dad must have been to walk through the gates and what a joy-filled reunion!

Oh Ellen. I’m so very sorry. Your parents have been such an inspiration for so many. Hugs to you and your family. 💗

Aching and rejoicing and praising God for the beautiful smiles, prayers and welcoming words I was privileged to enjoy, gifted by your precious Pop through more than 4 decades.
Love to you all.

I will always remember your parents with fond memories when we were in junior high and high school. They were always so dedicated to their family. I feel your pain Ellen. I know you take comfort in our Lord and the fact that your parents are reunited once again. 🙏🏻🙏🏻

From Instagram:

I’m reminded of the words to the hymn that he likely walked down to at the crusade when he gave his life to Jesus…. Just as I am, without one plea,But that Thy blood was shed for me,And that Thou bid’st me come to Thee,O Lamb of God, I come! I come!

Ellen, hugs to you and your family! I know heaven had been your Dad’s desire! I look forward to meeting him in heaven one day. And I will always remember his love for the Lord, his family and jigsaw puzzle. Prayers and hugs to you and your family! 💕✝

At peace, and with your beloved mother. May eternal light shine on him and may he rest in peace. What a man your father was. What a legacy of faith and courage and determination he had left for you and your children!

Our family will be trying to figure out the best time for all of us to have Pop’s memorial service and funeral. There are a lot of us. The funeral will be at Rose Hills in Southern California which means some of us have to travel from Washington State and Texas. We’ll have to weed through all that is going on in our lives to choose what’s best for most.

I’m adding a lot of random (not in chronological order) photos of my dear old pop throughout this post.

1. What happens to the mail at your house?

90% of it goes in the recycle bin. Bills go in my pay bills folder. Our kids’ mail goes next to the microwave for them to pick up the next time they come over. Magazines that we want to read end up in the family room or next to the toilet.

My older sisters and our pop in January of 2017.

2. Something you always splurge on? Any guilt associated with the splurge?

I’ll always splurge on my kids and on a good meal when we have friends and family over. The best meat with no guilt…just an empty pocketbook.

Josh and Laura with their Dzeda in January of 2017.

3. There are many, but what are two important questions you think every bride and groom should ask/answer before they plan their walk down the aisle?

If the bride and groom are believers these two questions are important. Do you love Jesus? Are you willing to obey him?

Our pop in the 1990’s

Dear and our pop in January of 2017 at Joe and Hannah’s wedding.

Me and my siblings in the 50’s with our pop before our next 4 siblings were born. I’m the youngest in this photo.

4. What’s the best advice your father ever gave you?

I can’t remember him giving me verbal advice. My parents were Russian immigrants and it took them a while to communicate in English. My Russian was dismal so verbal communication was an issue. Modeling was the best communication they gave. I learned a lot from watching them. One thing my parents always were ready to do was to drop everything and head over to someone’s home when they heard that a family member had died or to the hospital when they heard a friend or family member was suffering. They showed up. My mom would take food. They sat and listened and then they prayed with the hurting. My parents also modeled their faith in Bible reading and praying.

January 2015 with half of my siblings.

5. Your favorite movie where a father features heavily in the storyline?

I needed help with this one because my memory failed me. I’m going with Fiddler on the Roof. Teyve and his daughters.

“If I were a rich man…”

Our pop in the early 1950’s at 4635 Oak street in Pico Rivera, California.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Pop in 1967 or 1968 in Montebello while hosting our cheer leading squad for dinner during crazy hat night.

When I was in high school a door to door salesman tried to con my parents to buy a set of encyclopedias that they claimed would help us kids in school. The cost was prohibitive and I confronted the salesman and told him my parents would not be buying the set of books. The salesman was a little hostile and I didn’t back down and showed him the front door. After that incident whenever my father had to go out of town for a job, he’d leave the “purse strings” with me to pay the bills and dole out the money for my mom and the rest of my brothers and sisters. I was a scrooge.

Pop and mom (dzeda and baba) with our kids on Norway Hill in the early 1990’s.

My mom and pop at our niece Debbee’s wedding in April of 2013 five months before my mom passed away.

Me and my siblings with our dear old pop at our mom’s funeral in September of 2013. One brother is missing in this photo.

My pop and oldest sister at the Molokan Cemetery where our paternal grandparents and some uncles and aunts are buried.

Our dear old pop, who is now 95, is struggling more and more and continues to wait on God’s timing for his homecoming.

I’m linking up for Wednesday Hodgepodge with Jo From This Side of the Pond. She asks the questions and we answer them.

I’m hoping that a Scandinavian blogger might be able to correct this translation if it’s off or wrong.

This came down to us from Dear’s mother’s people who are all Swedish. I’m sorry to say I don’t know which relative or friend painted it and who it was painted for. It has the year 1950 painted on the back. I enjoy seeing it on the wall and I appreciate the sentiment on it, too.

I did my own little word study on light from the Bible. Here are some of the verses I found from the English Standard Version of the Bible.

For it is you who light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness. Psalm 18:28

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1

Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling! Psalm 43:3

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”John 8: 12

I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. John 12:46

It was a good exercise to look up these references about light on a dark winter’s day. Good to remember the source of my light and my salvation.

I’m joining the Tiered Tray Extravaganza hosted by Thoughts of Home. I used a metal tiered tray that I’ve had for a few years purchased at a thrift store. The tray and pewter make me think of fall so I decided to use some of my pewter pieces on the tiers. My lavender is still blooming so I cut sprigs of it and added them on the tray.

The sugar and creamer on the top level of the tray are part of set with a coffee server, too. The photo below shows the coffee server.

The next level has an older pewter creamer that I purchased at a thrift store and a pewter wine bottle coaster that I have some old nails and clock winder in.

On this next level I have my pewter napkin rings and Salt and Pepper Shakers. The shell rings are from the U.S. and the more ornate pair of rings are not pewter but silver plate bought in Canterbury England.

I’m sharing two other tiered pieces I have at my home that aren’t trays.

My attempt at a little fall decorating outside our front door.

This is my Russian Heritage 3 tiered piece with some of my Matryoshka Dolls and wooden spoons. I have samovars, laquer boxes and other Russian treasures in other parts of this old house.

Thanks to the ladies that host Thoughts of Home on Thursdays for this extravaganza. Click on the logo above to see more!

September 13th is the day we have always celebrated my parents wedding anniversary. My pop is still alive but my mom died 3 years ago on her and my pop’s 70th wedding anniversary. I’m happy for all the years they had together.